I am so frustrated that I am about to cry!!

[Tammyh]

Originally Posted by amanda350

Since I am home all day, when should I put them in the crate? I let them sleep with me and there's no problem and then in the morning I take them out first thing..and then it's breakfast.. when should I put them in the crate for the first time, right after they eat or wait till they potty again.not sure where to start with it..

Well, after they eat they'll most likely have to go potty fairly quickly so I would take them out to go potty within about 15 minutes after they eat and if they go let them stay out for maybe another 20 to 30 minutes and then put them in the crate (make sure you stay with them when they go outside and watch them to be sure they went). Keep them in the crate for about 1 to 1.5 hours and then take them directly outside to go again. I've read that it's important to make them walk to the door with you and if you have a designated spot for them to "go" walk to that spot (if they don't want to follow you I would recommend using a leash). This way they learn that they need to go to the door when they have to go and where the potty area is. Now if you take them out after they eat and they don't go then put them back in the crate and try again in another 15 minutes or so. Basically anytime you take them out and they don't go they must go back in the crate. They only get to stay out and play if they do their thing. Just keep repeating the same thing throughout the day. It will take some time but it's always worked with all of our dogs. Make sure when they're out of the crate you watch them like a hawk. After a while you'll be able to tell when they have to go and it's so important to catch them if they go in the house. With Bella, if I saw her pee I would say "no" and go quickly to her and she would stop I'd pick her up and take her outside and if she finished outside I'd praise her and she'd get to stay out. I know you've got young children so you may even want to get up early enough to give them the time to be out of the crate supervised and time it to put them in the crate when getting the kids ready for school. Also, when they're in the x-pen that's still time out of the crate and should be treated the same as when playing with you in the house. I hope this helps. Remember it takes a lot of patience and consistancy but they'll get it. It's going to be harder for you because you have 2 furbabies to keep track of and small children that need your attention too but I know you can do it ! Good luck !

[MyRuby]

I completely am there with you (to the original poster)! I have been a member of this post for a while but not posted yet as I just like to read the threads and learn from them...but I just started to go insane over my 18week old female who is having difficulty with consistency using the pads and I am also overwhelmed as I have 2 kids (3yrs and 17 months) and 4 dogs, one great dane, one shihtzu mix, and 2 tiny yorkies, Ruby is 1 yr (and completely housebroke unless she is mad) and Gracie is 18 weeks, and a guinea pig but he is the easiest part of my life. I got Gracie at 8 weeks and from day 1 introduced her to the pads but also let her out with my dogs 3 times a day(sometimes 2 depending on her pad use). She would go potty outside for the most part, but also on the pads (a lot more on the pads as it seems she has to eliminate like every hour!!), but nonetheless she was using them....until recently (the last month). I read many posts on here and kept the pads in the same spots and praised for good behavior yadayadayada and now she thinks any throw rug, carpet, and even any dog bed are game for peeing. I bought the x-pen and she is 90% about hitting the pad there, but when she is not in it she just goes anywhere she wants to and even if I catch her it does nothing cuz she will do it again. I can't live in a house of pee and she sure is cute, but you can only handle so much when all efforts are made. I am trying not to give up but some days I wonder if I will and then I remind myself she is ONLY 18weeks and it did (surprisingly) take us 1 year to fully train our great dane (and the bigger dogs are suppose to be easier, but she is now the dog that would hold it until her eyes were swimming before an accident in the house.) My husband keeps reminding me when I begin to talk about maybe I would be better off without her, about how long it took to train the others and that is what gives me hope and also considering she is just 1.9 pounds so that bladder is TINY and my vet said that small dogs in general are tougher for some reason he wasn't sure why, but the yorkeis being so incredibly small should be expected to take a bit longer. Try to hang in there a bit longer and maybe ease up on yourself and just remember you are doing all you can and hopefully as their bodies and bladders grow stronger, and hopefully thier brains a bit sharper, they will catch on to a consistent pattern, that is what I am hoping for.

[amanda350]

I think that the most frustrating part for me is that Stewie will scream like a victim in a horror movie the whole time he is in his crate and my husband works 3rd shift so he is trying to sleep. What's worse is that my husband just got back from a week long trip and the whole week that he was gone, I had to put them in their crates a little more than usual because I was single parenting it for a week and Stewie never made a peep..if he did, it was for like 3 secs...How do I stop that???

[SgtPeppersMommy]

Yea, Sarge has been screaming at night as well, I really don't know what to do about it. When he's potty-trained I'll happily let him come sleep with us, which seems to be what he wants, but I refuse to let him pee and poop in my bed. We gave him the whole kitchen at night so he can go on the paper if he has to potty in the middle of the night, but the screaming is almost more than I can stand. I'd really like to know any solutions to this as well.

[Tammyh]

Originally Posted by SgtPeppersMommy

Yea, Sarge has been screaming at night as well, I really don't know what to do about it. When he's potty-trained I'll happily let him come sleep with us, which seems to be what he wants, but I refuse to let him pee and poop in my bed. We gave him the whole kitchen at night so he can go on the paper if he has to potty in the middle of the night, but the screaming is almost more than I can stand. I'd really like to know any solutions to this as well.

Do you bring to crate into your room at night? Bella's crate is right next to my bed on the floor on my side of the bed. We've never had a problem. This is were she's slept since day one and she let out a little whine maybe once or twice that first night and I just told her gently but firmly "no" and we've never had a problem since. They just want to be close to you so maybe this will help. She seems to be completely potty trained now at 6 months but I don't plan on letting her out of her crate at night until I'm completely confident that she won't get up a wonder around while I'm asleep and have an accident, as long as she's in the crate I know she wont.

[MIZBROWN]

They say patience is the key... However my dear, with 3 kids and 2 pups and 1 hubby - I'd be loosing my mind... Sorry that I have no advice, but that just seems like too much for anyone to handle!?! Good luck finding the help you need

[amanda350]

Just a little update... they have actually gotten sooo much better... Stewie only cries now for about 10 minutes.. There is still no warning about when they have to go out but so far Kallie is holding it pretty well. They do sleep in my bed at night but both of them are right up against me and they do not move from that spot until exactly 6:30 and then usually it is Kallie who licks my face or starts sighing real loud until I get up and take them out and they go straight to the bathroom and run right to the door and when we go in they know it is time to eat and they will go to the kitchen for me to prepare the food and then they race me back to their xpen to eat. I soen 15 min per day with them teaching them stuff and so far they have lay down and sit down perfectly..and Kallie knows stay really well.. what else is their I wonder?? anyways, they are doing much better... any advice on keeping skin children from fighting and arguing all day would be great!!

[Tammyh]

Originally Posted by amanda350

Just a little update... they have actually gotten sooo much better... Stewie only cries now for about 10 minutes.. There is still no warning about when they have to go out but so far Kallie is holding it pretty well. They do sleep in my bed at night but both of them are right up against me and they do not move from that spot until exactly 6:30 and then usually it is Kallie who licks my face or starts sighing real loud until I get up and take them out and they go straight to the bathroom and run right to the door and when we go in they know it is time to eat and they will go to the kitchen for me to prepare the food and then they race me back to their xpen to eat. I soen 15 min per day with them teaching them stuff and so far they have lay down and sit down perfectly..and Kallie knows stay really well.. what else is their I wonder?? anyways, they are doing much better... any advice on keeping skin children from fighting and arguing all day would be great!!

Yeah! I'm so glad to hear that things are going better As far as the kids, good luck! I'm just glad mine are almost grown, LOL!